Semiconductor chips have become progressively more complex and highly integrated driven in large part by the need for increasing processing power in a smaller chip size for compact or portable electronic devices, such as cell phones, smart phones, personal media systems, or ultraportable computers.
Highly integrated circuit requests more components to be integrated into one packaging system. This causes larger package size and longer wiring between the components. However, the high density of wires and pins causes signal interference and impacts circuit performance.
Traditional two dimensional (2D) integrated circuit packaging systems require a substrate interposer to carry interconnections between two or more components. This adds to the cost in packaging system and reduces circuitry performance.
The requirement for higher performance circuitry and reduced size packaging are driving the demanding for three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) stacking systems. Compared with the traditional 2D integrated circuit packaging systems, where multiple ICs are arranged side by side, 3D IC packaging system arrange ICs vertically, stacking one IC on top of another IC and making vertical connections between the ICs.
However, there still remains a need for a precise and cost-effective way of creating 3D IC packaging systems. In view of the shrinking sizes of electronic components, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.